Optical fibers or channel waveguides are well known and commercially available. The use of such components as sensors for physical or chemical phenomenon is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,321,057 issued Mar. 23, 1982 to Richard G. Buckles.
The above-noted copending application describes techniques for controlling the power dissipated per unit length of an optical fiber in order to, for example, provide a linear sensitivity over the length of a fiber. The application also describes such techniques for optical fibers and resulting uniform power dissipation for uniform illumination purposes.
Present eye illumination apparatus is bulky, costly, and cumbersome and produces light which is difficult to direct precisely to the area a surgeon wishes to illuminate.